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£2.5bn action plan will not save homes from floods, warn MPs

Duncan Geddes

November 2 2016, 9:00am, The Times

Mytholmroyd in West Yorkshire on Boxing Day last year, when the River Calder burst its banks. MPs are calling for a floods commissioner to be appointed amid a complex blame game between insurers, councils and the Environment AgencyGetty Images

MPs have demanded a radical overhaul of flood prevention to protect communities from the effects of climate change.

Current plans to manage flood risk are unlikely to deliver sufficient protection in future decades despite major investment, according to the environment, food and rural affairs committee.

A report published today calls for powers to be transferred from the Environment Agency to a new national floods commissioner and authority for English rivers and coasts.

The government says that it is spending £2.5 billion on flood protection, including a £12.5 million rollout of mobile defences. However, the committee warns that this will not address the danger of “more frequent, more intense storms resulting from climate change”.